I thought I had a problem with my ZX-1280 board
so I sent it back to Don and he checked it out.
Excellent service.

Don Kinzer wrote:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

We received your board today.  Initially, I couldn't get output from a
downloaded program so I re-flashed the boot loader but still couldn't get
output.  Finally, I reverted to the current production version of the IDE,
compiler and ZX Library and I can download successfully and the program
outputs as expected.  Unfortunately, with the sequence of events I can't say
definitively what the problem was.  One reassuring fact is that out of the
thousands of devices we've sold this is only the second one that ended up
getting re-flashed.

I also tried disabling the RTC with the same line of code that you used and
was able afterward to successfully download a program and get the expected
output.  That confirms my hypothesis that disabling the RTC doesn't prevent
further downloads.

I'll send the board back to you tomorrow.

Regards,

Don Kinzer
ZBasic Microcontrollers

----------------------------------------------------------------------


When I got it back it was doing exactly the same thing
with the same old program still in there.

I concluded it must be the IDE as well.

I downloaded the new IDE install program from his web site.
V3.1.0     9 July 2010

I went into the Windows erase program file to erase the old
IDE. Windows appeared to do it properly.

Then I started to install the new IDE.

The install program told me the ZBasic directories were still
in Program Files/ZBasic/etc./etc./etc.  What?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got suspicious.

I went in and looked all the way down in the tree to the bottom
directory and sure enough...... files were still in there.

Bottom line; When you delete a program from Windows XP make
sure all parts are gone. XP does not keep track of
all directories the install program generated and delete them
and all files in them as it should when you attempt to remove
the program. I don't have that problem in Linux.

I deleted those old ZBasic files and went back to install
the new IDE in XP. It now works.

Apparently the old IDE got corrupted somehow.

I did that before I sent the board but apparently those
residual files had something to do with it and Windows
XP defective "remove program"..... program.

Paul


Yes, that's another soft spot with windows, the Microsoft
program un-installer isn't 100% reliable. Sometimes it is
better to use the vendor supplied un-installer that shows
up in the program run folder, and it can also be the vendors
installer un-installer log itself. Hard to say unless you
know exactly who wrote what, and which is being used. I
can't say if that's fixed in Win 7.
C. Smith

It bit me.
The trick is the installer should keep track of what
sub directories names were generated at install time and
delete them when the time comes. It would also be problem
if a developer made another directory under the installed
directory when you ran the program. Not a good idea.

Of course none of this prevents a user from making
a directory in the wrong place preventing the un install
program from deleting any directories above it.

The file structure in Linux is more disciplined with
executables going in "user bin" and data going elsewhere.
Mostly in "home".

Paul Lamar